Artificial eye



E. D. cL-ARKE ARTIFICIAL EYE.

Dec. 31, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 27, 1944 a m A? T%%vrgr m f N I hf... .RNN AQ E. D. CLARKE ARTIFICIAL EYE Dec. 31, 1957 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 27, 1944 E. D. CLARKE ARTIFICIAL EYEDec. 31, 1957 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed July 27, 1944 nvmvron.Z19. 6/

Dec. 31, 1957 Original Filed July 27, 1944 E. D. CLARKE ARTIFICIAL EYE 4Sheets- -Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

United States atentUfifice 2,817,845 Patented Dec. 31-, 1 957 ARTIFICIALEYE Eric D. Clarke, Cleveland, Ohio Original application July 27, 1944,Serial No. 546,763,

new Patent No. 2,673,984, dated April 6, 1954. Divided and .thisapplication February v1'5, 1954, Serial No. 410,225

12 .Claims. .(Cl. '3-13) This invention involves new improvements :inthe art of producing or manufacturing artificial eyes.

,Aprirnary object of the :invention lhasAbeen-to provide an artificial.eye structure embodying .a novel assemblage lofjsecti'ons orpartscorresponding largely to .those of the natural eye, capable .of beingmadeona production basis, so .to speak, and so combinable .in the finalassemblage .as tofacilitate the obtaining of .anlartificial productclose- Ily imitative ofthe human eye tobe reproduced.

A further object of this invention :is to useasectional structure, inputting together the parts of myartificial eye, such that .a .morenaturalistic article .is produced, especial- .ly .in reference toavoiding in .the formation of :the eye structure the stare appearance socommon in artificial eyes as they aremade today. To this endmy-newproduct is .amademoreclosely after rthe manner of the naturalhuman eye formation :than heretofore resorted to.

By .reasomoftmy making my new eye in-sectional pants, I achie-ve'anespecialaadvantage incident to ability to interchangeably assemble theparts, and particularly .-the sclera and iris members, "which are :the,peculiar colored members required to be matched, before the final fusingtogether oftthe eye structure till the completed formation :for ruse.-On the above :a'ccountl amenabledto so interchangeably arrange theparts of .the artificial -eye, preliminarily, iin (such a Wide .range:of combinations, as to :more quickly and accurately arrivewat the(determination of the tfinal matched colored 'membersthatwwill provideitheicl'osestspossible imitation .of the tnatural -eye 'of the .person:being fitted.

-My formation of thelparts of my artificial eye is d'urthermoredesignedly conducive to the production "thereof tfrom sheetmateriaL-preferably plastics such asehave been foundvsuitable for the*purpose -in this art, and, indeed, in manufacturing 'recoursemay be hadto punching and die pressingttechnique or practice such as employed insheet metal manufactures. Moldingtpractice may also he used, though thattfirst mentioned 'is desirable because of ability .to avail of standardmachinery.

Mywsectional artificial eye construction contemplates the use of aprefabricated or assembled sclera and cornea \unit, *or units, "for.interchangeable preliminary assembly with'aqprefabricated iris .andpupil unit, or units, ifor facilitating I116 color .matchings of thesclera and iris members to provide the ultimate assembled eye structure.When the :matchingof-said parts or units is satis'factor-yito rthepatient'the will "be fused or permanently connectedltogether'toconstitute'thefinaleye to be used. Thisfeature ofamy inventionenables agreat "reduction .in rthe stocks of eye parts necessary .to bemaintained at the selling -outlets.

I know of no artificial eye made todayin which this facility ofvariablematching maybe carried out, .as rob- '-tained with my invention,respecting the prefabricated isclera unit audthe prefabricatedtirisandpupil tunit, 11in combinations thereof, and the advantageous results"50f zthe foregcin'g will become apparent hereinafter.

According to my invention, I may use plastic material entirely for myeyeconstruction, or I may use plastics or glass parts in combination,the use of some plastic being desirable because .of .the facility forfinal fusing or welding together of the properly assembled combinationsof colored units, .thus obtained, using ordinary heat and pressuremethods known to the art.

As regards the prefabricated 'sclera and iris units, of my inventiomlcontemplate using alternative types of "construction. In-one ,form theiris unit-may be assembled posteriorly, or into the hollow of the ballmember ,(sclera and cornea unit) from the rear. Or, acccording toanother form of my -.artificia1 eye, I may apply .the iris unit to theoutside .front portion of the sclera and cornea unit 1(-e ye .ballproper), and weld or :fuse it in place there, whether. ttheiris unit :ismade largely of plastic or made toftplasti'c, ,glass, and other suitablematerial.

.My invention comprises additionally other detail features, the purposeof which will appear more fully in the IfOIlQWiIlg detailed descriptionand disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which latter:

.Fig-ure il-is about-elevation of an artificial eyeembodywing myinvention, in one preferred form thereof.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2of Figured.

Figure 3 is a sectional view :showing the cornea mem- -ber -only of theiformtin Figures -1 to 4.

Figure 4.is a firont view of the sclera member alone.

Figure 5 is iaventical cross sectional view of the sclera member :alone.

Figure :6 :is :-'a front =vi'ew of the assembled iris and pupil lunitnaswhen ready for insertion -to combine with the cornea, sclera, and otherparts of the Figure 2 type of structure.

Figure 7 is a detail-sectional view of tbje iris and pupil :unit, asusedin the structure of the previous figure.

Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating the combined cornea, humor,and sclera unit in "the condition ready to receive the unit which isshown in Figure l0, byposterior insertion therein.

Figure '9 is a View similar to Figure "2, illustrating a modification-ofthe invention.

Figure L0 is a sectional view of "the pupil and iris 'unit as used'inthe modification of'Figure-9.

*Figure 11 is a sectional view of a modified "form of ir'is and pupilinsertable unit formed with a single layer of a plastic for cheapeningof cost.

Figure l2'is a detail section of a modified form of iris, pupil andhumor unit, of glass, adapted for use in ball or scleraunits likethoseof FiguresZ, l8, and 19.

Figure 13 shows a modification in which the iris and pupilunitillustrated may beapplied externally to the ball or corneamem'ber andcomprises a glass unit of transparenthumor and colored glass irisandpupil.

Figure 14 is a view ofthe scleraand. cornea unit .used with thestructure of Figure 13.

BigureJLSLi-s asection oftthe partstof Figures -13 :and 14 when:asserribled and fused, after :required preliminary matching.

Figure T6 is a secti'onal View of another modification of the irisunit-applicable 'to'the ball unit of Figure 14.

Figure 1'7 shows the unitoff Figure 16 assembl d with its ball orscleraunit.

formedtsclera ,having a c centering hole or opening to receive an iris.and,pupil unit asshown inFigures 2-1 and 22,

:oritohe assembled cwith attire-formed iris pupil and cornea unit asshown in Figure 23, the structure of Figure 23 to be emplaced in frontof that of Figure 19.

Figure 20 is a view of the parts of Figures 19 and 22 assembled, nocornea member provided.

Figure 21 is a view of a modified form of a fabricated iris, pupil andcornea member wherein the pupil member is weldable and would be emplacedfrom the posterior side, the pupil member being made of black plasticmaterial.

Figure 22 is a view of a modified form of a fabricated iris, pupil andhumor member, wherein the humor member is weldable and would be placedfrom the anterior side into the constructions of Figures 18 or 19, thepupil being black plastic, or it may be constructed as shown in Figure7.

Figure 23 is a view of a modified form of a fabricated iris, pupil, andhumor member to be made integral with the cornea member and adapted tobe fitted over the constructions of Figures or 19 for color matching andwelding into place. The pupil is made of black plastic.

The views of the drawings are exaggerated or much enlarged as comparedwith the normal size of an artificial eye made in accordance with theinvention, in order that the structural characteristics of the compositeparts of the eye may be clearly depicted.

Referring to Figures 1 to inclusive, and specifically describing myartificial eye, it is notable that I employ for providing the body orball of the eye the outer shell or cornea member 1 which issubstantially a continuous sheet of plastic material, preferably, andembodies a rounded partial ball-like formation of hollow nature. Thisplastic of the cornea member 1 is transparent and to conform with thenatural eye is slightly bulbous at 1a approximately at the front axisthereof. Adapted to fit into the cornea member 1 is the sclera member 2.which, as clearly seen in the drawings, is formed with an approximatelycentral opening 3, the axis of the opening in fact being disposedslightly lateral of the axis of the cornea member as apparent fromFigures 1 and 4, dependent upon whether the eye is left or right, inthis respect necessarily conforming to the natural eye of a person. Themembers 1 and 2 fit together in close contact when assembled as will beclear from Figure 2. At the inner side of the bulbous portion 1a of thecornea 1 I provide what I term the humor member 5, the front of which iscurved to conform with the inner curvature of the part 1a and the rearof which is curved on an are approximately similar.

The parts above described, when assembled, are adapted to receive fromthe rear or into the hollow portion of the eyeball structure providedthereby, the iris and pupil unit which is depicted best in Figures 2 and7, the same shown by itself in the latter figure. The iris and pupilunit is made up of an outer plastic layer 5 at its thickest portion ofsubstantially the thickness of the cornea member 1, a middle layer ofplastic 6 of substantially the thickness of the sclera member 2, and aninner layer of plastic 7 of sufiicient size to overlap the inner portionof the sclera member 2 at the part surrounding the opening 3. The layers5 and 6 of plastic are of transparent material, whilst the layer 7 maybe of transparent or opaque material, this not being consequential.

Between the layers 5 and 6 there is received the iris member 8 which isof generally circular form to correspond with the roundness of the irisof the human eye, and is provided with a central opening as illustrated.

Between the layers of material designated 6 and 7 and in rear of theopening in the iris member 8 is provided the pupil member 9. This pupilmember may be formed by India ink or a black or suitably colored pigmentresembling the eye pupil, and is spaced a slight distance from theopening in the iris member 8 for the special purposeof providing a depthfactor for the pupil member in rear of the iris member. It is found thatthis is advantageous in that it tends to eliminate the staringappearance that is incident to ordinary artificial eye structures. It iswithin the purview of the invention that if the layer 7 of the pupil andiris unit is made of a substantially black opaque material, suchcoloring of the material may eliminate the separate formation of thepupil member as by stamping or use of special pigment for such purpose.

The sclera member 2 is of course of one of the color variations of whitethat corresponds with the sclera of the human eye, and as seen in Figure1 this member will be provided on its outer surface with imitation veinsor lines corresponding with the veins or blood vessels in the sclera ofthe human eye. These veins may be obtained by using suitable colored inklines or ravelings of silk or wool and they will of course be providedof a color that matches the natural eye of the person who is beingfitted with the artificial eye.

In like manner, it is contemplated that the iris member 3 shall be ofthe color of the iris of the natural eye of the person to whom theartificial eye is supplied, and of course varying colors running fromblue, gray, greenish-gray, brown, brownish-green, brown in lighter ordarker tints, and other colors corresponding with human eye coloring ofthe iris will be employed in the making of the iris member 8. This irismember may be color-printed upon paper or a thin plastic or celluloselayer, within the contemplation of the invention. The transparent corneamember 1 attached, fused or welded to the colored sclera member 2 mayconstitute one prefabricated unit of the eye. The unit of Figure 7 mayconstitute the second or other prefabricated unit. The two units arethose required to be matched before assembling finally.

A special feature of the invention lies in the peculiar manner in whichthe edges of the relatively round layers 5 and 6 of the pupil and irisunit are chamfered or bevelled. This structure is calculated to morereadily afford the complete simulation of the natural eye structure inthat the coloring at the outer periphery of the iris member 8 is causedto thus merge into the blue-white coloring of the sclera member. Theblending achieved is most natural in appearance.

The pupil and iris unit as seen in Figure 7 may be said as a whole to begenerally concave-convex with the concave at the rear side. In Figure 9I have provided a modified construction wherein the rear side of thehumor member is convexed toward the rear of the eye and the pupil andiris unit is of similar conforming curvature. In this modification,however, the iris member 8a has a line of curvature substantially inline with the plane of the pupil member 9a. In this construction,furthermore, I utilize only two layers of plastic, the outer transparentlayer 6a and the inner transparent or opaque layer 7a, between whichlayers the pupil member 9a and the iris member 8a lie or are receivedand held. Figure 10 illustrates the pupil and iris unit of the Figure 9construction alone and more clearly. In this construction the finalfusing of the various parts of the eye by pressure and heat will effectblending of the color areas of the iris and sclera.

In Figure 11 a single fiat plastic layer 10 carries the iris member 81;and pupil member 9b. Being made of plastic, it may be curved if desiredwhile subjected to heat and/ or pressure.

In both of the constructions of my artificial eye as above set forth theprefabricated welded pupil and iris unit is insertable into theprefabricated or welded unit of the cornea and sclera structure from therear of the eye. The making of these separate units affords thecapability of divers color combinations, for simulating the natural eye,not heretofore obtained, and when the desired combination is made andapproved by the patient, the two units may be connected in union byresorting to common heat and pressure operations, thus completing theartificial eye ready to be used. As regards the detail forming of theiris and pupil unit as one, the same technique may be employed inuniting the plastic layers 5 and 6. If desired, the layers 6 and 7 maybe permanently united after the provision of the pupil member 9therebetween, and subsequently the layers 6 and 7 will be weldedtogether by the heating technique previously referred to, the .irishaving been mounted between the layers 5 and 6 these correspondinglyunited.

'Various modifications in the bringing-together technique for thevarious plastic members may be resorted to within the purview 'of theinvention.

In describing the parts of my artificial eye, I have used terms havingcertain appropriateness because of .the relation of the parts tocorresponding parts of the human eye, these terms being purelydescriptive and definitive so as to enable .an understanding of theinvention. So far as the humor member 4 is concerned, it .is.a memberwhich in effect supplies the physical nature and action of the aqueoushumor which is posterior to the cornea in the actual .human eye. Thishumor member 4 may be integral with the layer of plastic from which thecornea is made, though it is preferred that it be separate and united byheat weld to the part 1.

A great advantage of course of my invention is the adaptability toselectively combine the color members 2 and 8 in manyditferentcombinations, and a further advantage lies in the fact that thevarious laminae of the eye described by Inc may be made from sheetmaterial stamped out with punched openings where required and formed tocontour by pressure. The welded connection, so to .speak, between themember 7 and the sclera member 2 may be such as to provide. for theready breaking of the -weld should itbe desired to change the iris unitbecause of the requirement for better eye-matching than may beoriginally obtained in the first assembly and welded com- -bination ofparts.

Exemplifying the advantage of my invention from the vie-wpoint ofability to carry reduced amount of stock of parts, I might note thatwhere heretofore, because of the assembly orcombining of the artificialeye structure into a unit before fitting, tremendous stocks of eyes orcomplete eyeswere required to be kept-on hand, .mytinvention elimihatessuch requirement to a large extent. For instance, it is my object tokeep the standard artificial eyeball com- .prising the parts 1 and 2separate from the iris "unit, also prefabricated, until the time offitting the patient. Then the eyeballr'st-ructure of the parts 1 and 2maybe selected, and, becauseplastic is used, itma-y be grounder cut awayfor fitting purposes with readiness. The eyeball sections,

as I term them, could be made in about four sizes in rights and leftsfor providing eight artificial eyes, which would fitmost patients.Thelarger sizes can be cut down to intermediate "or small sizes, andabout four different sized holes may be formed in the sclera members forthe iris, as readily evident. About six sclera colors for these memberswould usually suifice, and about five patterns of veins would be amplefor the stock. Thus, about a stock of 960 eyes would be suificient andfrom this stock a patient could be very readily fitted for size, shapedfor :adhesions, size of cornea, oriris, color of sclera and veinpatterns. The iris could be made in about 72 colors and shades of colorswhich'would usually match nearly all human eyes, and in four sizes, sothat 288 irises might be used with four sizes of pupils, so that about1152 combination units of this character might be availed of. Withapproximately 960 eyeball members and 1152iris units, substantially1,105,000 different combinations may be obtained without cutting orgrinding. This may be compared with the tremendous stock of eyes usuallyrequired to be kept at the producing or manufacturing place,rangingoften up to 20,000 in number, which cannot possibly affordtheeyematching combinations of the sclera and iris units obtainable in thepractice of my invention. A very large percentage of artificial eyes ofpresent known complete or finished constructions are required to be keptin stock by selling stores today.

.In known types of artificial eyes there is no way of allowing for thevariation of size of either the iris member op pupil member such asexists in the human eye. With my invention the .iris member may be madeof three or four sizes to accommodate for close rmatching of the human-eye. Since the pupil usually varies in size with the size of the iris,.my iris and .pupil unit will obviously provide for this correspondenceof variation .-in practice of manufacture.

Referring to Figure .1201. the drawing, it .is notable that I illustratethereina form of iris and pupil unit of modified construction, includingthe humor member 4a, that may .all be made from glass, and properlyshaped ofcourse to conform with the inner portion of the bulbous part 1aof the cornea member as illustrated in Figure 2. In this modifiedconstruction the humor member 4a is applied to a layer of plasticdesignated t0 which layer has 1peripheraledge portions arranged tooverlap the inner surface of the sclera member 2 when the unit of Figure12 is placed within the sclera and cornea unit which would be :of thegeneral construction illustrated in Figure .2.

The plastic memberlo enables the welding of the unit of Figure 12 withinthe sclera and cornea unit.

Now it is contemplated further, within my invention, that I may providean iris and pupil unit which may be applied to the sclera and corneaunit externally thereof, instead of according to the construction shownparticularly in the first described form of my invention. In Fig- .ures13 and 14 the last mentioned construction is illustrated, Figure 14showing at 11 the :sclera member and 12 designates the cornea member. lnthis construction the central portion of the cornea member is formedwith an opening and into said opening may be .emplaced the inner- .mostportion of the external 'iris and pupil unit which is shownin Figure 13ascomprisin'g the outer plastic transparent layer 13, the humor member14, which is also trans- :parent glass, the iris member 15, and thepupil member 16, the last :two of colored glass. The plastic layer 13 atits peripheral portion may be joined by heating and "pressure techniqueto the peripheral portion of the open- :ing in the cornea member 12which will of course also be made of transparent plastic so that thecolor of the sclera member .11 will be visibletherethrough. Since thesclera-member 11 is also made of plastic material, when sume thecondition illustrated in Figure 15. The humor member 14 may be made ofglass, as shown, or transparent plastic, if desired.

In the modified form of my invention as illustrated in Figures 16 and17, the pupil member 17 is inset from the plane of the iris member 19,the two being disposed at opposite sides of a plastic layer which istransparent and designated 20. In this instance, according to the Figure16 construction, the humor member is external and made of plastic anddesignated 18. The plastic layer 20 permits the uniting at itsperipheral edge thereof with the material of the cornea member 21 at theinner side of which is disposed the sclera member 22 somewhat accordingto the construction illustrated in Figures 14 and 15.

According to the modifications of my invention in Figures 14, 15, 16,and 17, it is possible to preliminarily eifect the matching of theappropriate colored iris and pupil unit in relation to the appropriatelycolored sclera and cornea unit much after the manner which has beenexplained in regard to my first described constructions of my invention.The facility of matching is the same, practically speaking, and theadvantages are apparent.

It is notable in reference to the practice of my invention, that,because of the welding of the sclera and cornea unit to the iris andpupil unit in the manner set forth hereinbefore, the naturalisticelfects of the human eye are obtained to a degree not heretoforeachieved in reference to the blending of the sclera with the irismember. This is true whether the iris and pupil unit is disposed gems ison the posterior side of the body or ball of the eye or upon theanterior side, and the result is achieved very largely due to the factthat the iris member is disposed 1n an opening of the body or ballmember, comprising of course the sclera and cornea, which opening isslightly larger than the iris member. Thus when the pressure and heat ofthe welding operation is performed, the blending action is obtained witha closeness of imitation of the human eye that has not been secured sofar as I am aware in artificial eyes produced heretofore. Of course whenthe pupil member and the iris member are disposed in different planes ascontemplated according to my invention, in many of its forms when theartificial eye is actually viewed the pupil has the appearance of a realhole in the iris, as is the customary appearance in respect to thenatural eye. The foregoing, in addition to the convexity of the pupiland iris unit, all tend to obtaining the desired obliqueness whichenhances the desired objective of eliminating the appearance of stare inthe fixed eye.

In Figure 18 there is provided a unit comprising the welded or connectedplastic cornea and sclera members 25 and 26 respectively. This unit isformed with an approximately central hole or opening 27 to receive fromthe anterior side an iris, pupil, and humor unit as seen in Figure 22,the iris being 28, the pupil 29, of black plastic, the transparent humor30. The humor member 36 is extended somewhat at its peripheral edge toprovide for overlapping and welding merging joinder to the cornea member25. Or, the unit of Figure 21 may be inserted posteriorly in the unit ofFigure 18, in which event this unit comprises the black plastic pupilmember 31, the colored iris member 34, and the humor member 33. Themember 31 in this form is extended at its periphery to be welded to thesclera 26, see Figure 18.

In the forms of both Figures 21 and 22 there is a plastic layerdesignated 32 and 35 in these figures, respectively, located between thepupil members and iris members, thus insetting the pupil member from theiris member.

I may employ a sclera member 36 alone, as shown in Figure 19, that is,omitting the transparent covering hereinbefore called the cornea member.The units of Figures 21 and 22 may be applied and welded to that ofFigure 19 as described in regard to the construction in Figure 18, asshown in Figure 20 in respect to the combination of the Figure 22construction.

When either of the units of Figures 21 and 22 is assembled with thesclera 36 of Figure 19, the iris disc 34 or 28, as the case may be, willlie within the opening of the sclera as (see Figure 30 for example), andon final fusing together of the assembly under heat and pressure willafiord blending of the color areas of the iris and sclera.

In Figure 23 I show a combined fabricated cornea member 37, humor 38,iris member 41, transparent plastic uniting layer 40 (like 3?. and 35previously mentioned), and pupil member 39 of black plastic. Thisstructure as a unit may be readily united to the sclera member 36 ofFigure 19, or corresponding member 2 of Figure constructions, andemplaceable anteriorly of such sclera members.

From the foregoing it will be apparent according to the variousmodifications of my invention that variable matching of the iris unitsand sclera members or units is obtainable to the end of securingimitations of the human eye never heretofore available, to my knowledge.And the advantages derived are largely due to the detachability andattachaoility of the units above referred to, with the additionaladvantage of accurate centering of the iris members derived from theprovision of the centering openings in the sclera and/or cornea members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An artificial eye construction comprising a body including an outertransparent cornea member of hollow spherical form, a sclera memberfitted to and within the cornea member and of a color simulating that ofthe natural sclera of the eye, the cornea member having a centralopening, and a pupil and iris unit including pupil and iris memberspositioned in said opening and attachable to the sclera member, saidunit comprising layers of material between which the pupil and irismembers are disposed.

2. An artificial eye construction comprising a body including aprefabricated hollow cornea and sclera unit, the sclera member of theunit having a central opening, and a prefabricated pupil and iris unitincluding pupil and iris members and positioned at said opening andattachable to the sclera member, said unit comprising layers of materialbetween which the pupil and iris members are disposed, one of the saidlayers being weldable to the sclera member.

3. An artificial eye construction comprising a body including aprefabricated hollow cornea and sclera unit, the sclera member of theunit having a central opening, and a prefabricated pupil and iris unitincluding pupil and iris members and positioned at said opening andattach able to the sclera member, said unit comprising layers ofmaterial, including two outer layers disposed coincident with thegeneral arcs of curvature of the cornea and sclera members respectively,and between which the iris member is held, and a posterior third layerof material between which and the inner of said two outer layers thepupil member is held.

4. An artificial eye construction comprising a body including an outertransparent cornea member of hollow spherical form, a sclera memberfitted to and Within the cornea member and of a color simulating that ofthe natural sclera of the eye, said members being connected, the scleramember having a central opening, and a pupil and iris unit includingpupil and iris members positioned in said opening and attachable to thesclera member, the said unit including a first layer of material of athickness approximating that of the sclera member and received in theopening of the latter, and a second layer of material posterior to thefirst layer and overlappingly applied to the posterior surface of thesclera member.

5. That improvement in the art of artificial eye construction comprisingcircular layers of different colored plastics, one simulating an iris incolor and the other simulating the pupil of an eye in color, unitedtogether to form an iris and pupil unit, the circular edges of certainof said layers being chamferred, combined with a semibulbous transparenthumor simulating layer disposed anterior to the iris layer and unifiedtherewith, and a prefabricated plastic sclera member having a circularopening adapted to receive the iris and pupil unit and unified therewithto provide a combined sclera, iris and pupil structure, the iris andpupil layers being unified with the sclera member by heat and pressure.

6. An artificial eye comprising, in combination, a preformed plasticsclera memberprovided with an iris opening generally centrally thereof,a preformed plastic iris colored disc having the simulation of an irison its anterior side, centered in said opening of the sclera, atransparent plastic humor member anterior to said iris member, all ofsaid member being unified together by fusing under heat and pressure.

7. A plastic unit for artificial eyes, comprising a bulbous transparenthumor member, an iris colored disc member having the simulation of aniris of a natural eye on its anterior side, said disc having a centrallydisposed pupil opening, and a circular pigmentized member of substantialthickness simulating the pupil of a natural eye centered in respect tosaid pupil opening.

8. A plastic unit as claimed in claim 7, in which the pupil area isgreater than the pupil opening in the iris.

9. A plastic unit as claimed in claim 8, in which the humor memberextends into the pupil opening. 1

10. A plastic unit for artificial eyes, comprising a bulbous transparenthumor member and iris disc member having the simulation of an iris of anatural eye on its anterior side, said disc having a centrally disposedpupil opening, and a circular pigmentized member of substantialthickness simulating the pupil of a natural eye centered in respect tosaid pupil opening.

11. An artificial eye construction comprising a body including an outerprefabricated transparent cornea member of hollow spherical form, asclera member removably fitted to, conforming to the shape of, anddisposed within the cornea member, to permit of interchanging withothers of such members, and of a color simulating that of the naturalsclera of the eye, the sclera member having a central opening, and aniris and pupil member including iris and pupil parts, said member beingremovably held in place in said opening to permit of interchanging withothers of such members, the pupil member being inset from the plane ofthe iris member to give depth ap pearance.

12. In the art of artifical eye construction, that improvement in irisand pupil unit which comprises, in combina' tion, an iris coloredplastic disc having the simulation References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,808 Borsch May 17, 1892 1,963,129Grubman June 19, 1934 1,979,321 Dunner Nov. 6, 1934 1,993,121 TraversMar. 5, 1935 2,322,117 Dimitry June 15, 1943 2,391,305 Galeski Dec. 18,1945 2,394,400 Noles Feb. 5, 1946 2,673,984 Clarke Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 175,212 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1922 522,945 France Apr. 11, 1921

